


Eureka

by TinyTournesol



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Slow Burn, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26386477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyTournesol/pseuds/TinyTournesol
Summary: The bustling city of New York was everything Hange Zoe wanted- the charming tourists, the flavorsome cuisine, and the overall landmarks and beauty that the city held. Not to mention, she shared it with her longtime friend, Nanaba. What she didn't expect to find there, however, was in an ill-mannered, stubborn, and germophobic man whose intentions were strikingly similar to her own.
Relationships: Levi/Hange Zoë
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Eureka

The hazy sunlight peeked through her bedroom window, lighting the woman’s hair like a glistening crystal. It sent a glossy gold sheen around the room, causing her eyelids to flutter open. She had tugged the pillow over her head idly, hoping to get a measly fifteen minutes more of sleep. Hange’s phone vibrated abruptly, tainting her drowsiness with a sense of dreary obligation; after all, what kind of responsible adult knowingly left the person on the other line to stew in their questions? 

She left an indolent hand to dangle from her bedside, managing to answer the phone with a swift swipe to the right. Hange, personally, was beyond impressed by her ability to curb the jingle’s wretched screech without bothering to look. 

" _ Hange?" _

"I had five minutes left to sleep..." She said groggily, grabbing her square-shaped glasses and pushing them up against her nose bridge.

‘What was the point of calling so early, Nanaba?’ Hange thought to herself. 

Instantaneously, she felt a lump forming in her throat. "Is it an emergency? Did something happen? Are Sawney and Bean alri-"

The voice didn't miss a beat. " _Yes, of course, dear!_ _You know I wouldn't let anything happen to your babies_."

With a sigh of relief, Hange could regain her composure. Nanaba was a responsible woman, and to second-guess her reliability was clearly an effect of Hange’s personal worries. She was fully aware of it, but the anxiety she harbored relating to her geckos’ well-being often triumphed over her adoration of Nanaba. 

Like a mother separated from her children, Hange could hardly wait to see their smiling, scaly faces. Being apart from them was a wholly new experience and one that she clearly despised. It wasn't out of her own choosing, but if there was an opportunity to make more cash by working extra, she would’ve gladly taken it. As a result, the impending fear of neglecting her geckos brought her to the decision of temporarily handing them over to Nanaba. 

"Ah, well that's great to hear." She replied, absentmindedly checking her nails. "Give them kisses for me, will you? They need to feel a reminder of my love somehow."

There was a light chuckle heard over the phone. "You know I will! But that's not what I needed to tell you. I know you've been busy, but there's a bit of a work-related problem."

"Does it have to do with this week's schedule?" Hange asked, allowing herself to shuffle out of bed. "Or is it about Mike?" Her last sentence oozed in a bitter sense of mockery, and Nanaba could sense it.

" _ No, and no. That's a bit of a touchy subject, so let's drop it." _

It was no surprise that she labeled it as a “touchy subject”. Hange knew Nanaba held affections for him to some extent, but they were kept well-hidden due to some prickly trust issues. Simply stated, Nanaba wasn't opposed to a potential relationship, but she wasn't quite sure if she had the capacity to commit. Hange felt similarly; being immersed in a full-time job had the ability to interrupt, if not shatter a relationship. 

"Yeah, yeah. We can talk about  _ him  _ later. But you said you had something important to tell me, right?" Hange inquired, letting out the last of her laughter from the previous conversation.

She heard an indistinct huff from the other line. " _ Yes. It's that our side of the building, more specifically, our offices, are being confiscated." _

Hange could feel her nerves snapping. "What? Why? Is it because we're constantly talking? That's the boss' fault for seating our office's side by side!" She protested, clenching her fists.

" _ Well, we have new people working there and he wants them to have all the available opportunities." _

Hange scoffed. "So that means he'll just take away our offices?"

" _ Yes,"  _ Nanaba replied, pinching the bridge of her nose as if she was dealing with a toddler. " _ But you don't have to cry just yet. Turns out, we can be working at home until some other offices open up for us." _

"Ah! We can work at home?" Hange mused, adjusting her glasses. "Well, it's settled then."

" _ Yeah, either it'll be at your place or mine."  _ Nanaba remarked, leaving certain elements to be implied; years of friendship, understandably, left an almost “telepathic” mind link that both women often utilized. 

Hange’s eyes shifted around her small household, frowning at the disarranged nature of her decor. "I think it's best if we work at your place, don't you think?" She asked, tossing her grimy bra into the hamper. "Besides, I’ve been really lonesome for my kids."

" _ Oh yes, they're  _ dying  _ to see you. They've missed you a lot, you know."  _ Nanaba responded, sounding nearly inaudible. Her jostled footsteps threw off the coherency of her speech a great deal. 

There was a monotonous pause before Hange spoke again. "Well, I'll see you soon, dearest! I have a few things to pack, and that'll be it. Tell Sawney and Bean that mummy is going to see them!"

With that, their conversation ended and Hange found herself packing up briskly. She had hoped that her journey to Nanaba would be both short and sweet.

Just as she was about to make her way towards the door, she caught sight of herself in one of the mirrors. One of the straps of her bra was creeping down her shoulder, all the while her nightgown draped against the floor. A sigh escaped from disgruntled lips. 

"I'll need some time to look presentable."

Hange wasn’t planning on taking too long, mainly because Nanaba often happily lent her the necessary materials for work. Still, she would at least dress a bit nicer.

She dropped to the floor, now eye-level with the bottom of her bed. Her laptop lay untouched until she thought to grab it. 

"I believe that's all for now!" She mumbled, shoving the computer into its protective casing.

Just before her hand grazed the doorknob, there was a sense of hesitation. 

"Oh! How could I forget?" chirped Hange, throwing a few hand-made goodies into her bag.

After muttering a few "hello's" to random pedestrians, she found herself walking about the city’s streets, taking in the tranquil breeze. Nanaba only lived a block down from where she lived, and so did their office building. It wasn't too far, and Hange preferred the exercise.

As she turned the corner towards her friend's block, she passed by an infamous pizza parlor. Many had taken up the pizza-making craft up in New York City; especially considering the density of Italian immigrants that resided in certain neighborhoods. This spot, however, boasted a deliciously cheap pizza. It was popular among the locals, but Hange had already had enough to last her a lifetime. Seeing it was nostalgic, almost. 

The scent soon diminished as she was on the trail of Nanaba's home. Her home was a small, yet comfortable studio fit just for her. It was decorated very little, much to Hange's clear dismay. It was already the first of December, and according to Hange, already time for the holidays.

Hange walked up the steps that led to Nanaba's floor, already fidgeting due to the overwhelming desire to see her pets. She knocked once and saw a pair of blue eyes flash through the blinds.

"It's me," Hange said softly. With that, the door was unlocked and a happy grin appeared on both of the young women's faces. "I know you're not here for me." Nanaba teased her, greeting her with a hug.

Hange raised a brow in retaliation.

"I'm not so sure about that. You know, I was going to come over sometime anyway to bake some cookies."

"If you  _ were  _ going to do that, it'd be to no avail. I'm missing some ingredients." Nanaba laughed lightly, closing the door behind them.

Hange crosses her arms to imitate a poisonous form of mockery. "I've got to take you shopping! Most of those are just regular ingredients to have in the house, you know."

"I know, I know. We can worry about that later, though. I think you might want to see your little children." Nanaba said, gesturing to the enclosures.

Hange glanced around the studio until her eyes met the enclosure, then, her geckos. She walked over while reaching into her purse to grab the goodies she had cut up for them. She heard Nanaba giggle.

"So, you made them snacks beforehand? I'm not surprised." She said, shaking her head.

"Of course I did! You never know how they feel when they see us munching on our food." Hange brought out a small zip lock bag that held nicely cut apple slices. "And yes, before you ask, they won’t die at the hands of an apple." She added, snagging a small piece. She opened the enclosure, dropping a piece. She watched with interest as the two ate on separate sides, avoiding their normal quarrels entirely.

Closing the lid to their home, she averted her gaze to Nanaba, who was already on the couch with her laptop by her side. "I suppose I should do the same," Hange said softly and took her laptop out, prepared to work. Her attitude suddenly shifted, as she remembered why she had gone to Nanaba's home in the first place. Someone had taken their office spots. As to whom, she likely wouldn't know before returning to work.

"Nanaba?" Hange said, "Have you found out who took our offices?"

She shook her head in response, not shifting her gaze from the screen "No. Not yet, anyway. All I know is it's someone new."

Hange adjusted her glasses while taking a seat beside her. She opened up her laptop, looking up at her remaining work files. "Well, whoever it is, probably didn't need to take up room for two people. Then again, I'd rather be working here."

Nanaba gave a half-smile. "I know, me too. But I guarantee we'll get a call from the boss soon. We'll be back in about a week or so."

Hange frowned at the idea of that. Work wasn't such a hassle, but when there was a boss nagging at them every hour, it wasn't the least bit pleasant. "Yeah, but at least we'll have our offices back. That's all that matters, really." She replied, drolly.

"Mhm." Nanaba murmured, clearly too absorbed into her work to formulate a proper response.

Hange felt a silence overcome them, but was hardly bothered by it. It was the calm and peaceful silence that she welcomed happily. After all, it wouldn't be long before they would have to return to their office buildings where they had to refrain from senseless chatter. Generally, their boss didn't pay them too much mind, but their competency was an expectation. 

The way Hange saw work differed from Nanaba. Where Nanaba chose to rely on sheer work ethic to propel herself in a linear manner, Hange couldn’t help but jump between the rungs to find a better fit; and more often than not, it never really got her anywhere. Office work wasn't her first choice, but if Nanaba liked it, Hange would too. She couldn’t say she hated it, but science had always piqued her interest in a way that her dull office job could never seem to replicate. Until the time came for her to pursue it, Nanaba’s side would never be left unguarded. This sentiment comforted Hange a great deal, even to the point of stewing in a vat that reeked of conformity and lackluster compensation. 

She glanced at the time.

_ 12:03 pm _

Hange rose from her seat, earning a quick glimpse from Nanaba. "What is it? Should we take a break?" 

"Actually, yes," said Hange, stroking her chin. "We should grab some tea from the café that's around here, and maybe go check out who stole our spots. Sounds fun, right?"

Nanaba rolled her eyes in playful agitation. "I don't think our boss would be too pleased if you and I just returned to work to figure out who is occupying our seats."

"I think you're more concerned with seeing Mike," Hange smirked, letting her comment take root in her friend’s mind. 

To Hange’s apparent surprise, Nanaba offered nothing in retaliation but a pitiful chuckle. "We'll just make it quick." She replied, thoroughly satisfied that she managed to keep her composure at the mention of Mike.

Hange took Nanaba’s deflection as a sign to stop pushing the subject. 

Both grabbed their pea coats and headed towards the door. 

"I already have my shoes on," Hange grumbled, tromping against the hardwood until she located her boots. 

"You ready to go?" Nanaba asked.

Hange jiggled the door handle. 

"Waiting on you, my dear!" She remarked, while her friend followed close behind. Just before exiting the door, Hange stopped midway. "We'll be back, my loves! We'll only be gone for an hour or two."

"Not if our boss finds out the reason why we came back." Nanaba retorted.

Hange rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance. "Oh come on, Nanaba. Be positive!" 

With that, Nanaba snickered in response. "Fine, you go ahead and be positive! I'll be the realistic one."

She locked the door behind them, mentally preparing herself to confront a barrage of freshly-fallen snow. 

It was going to be a  _ long  _ day for the two.

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this in the past, but it went through some changes so this is the finalized first chapter. The other chapters are going through the same thing, so I am unsure of when they will be posted. Also, Levi isn't present here, but fret not, he will make his appearance very soon. ;)


End file.
